A state of emergency has been declared in Russia, as environmental authorities deploy a team of specialists to a remote Arctic region to sedate and remove dozens of hungry polar bears that have besieged the people living there.
Alexander Minayev, deputy head of archipelago Novaya Zemlya says people are scared, and afraid to leave their homes while Parents are also unwilling to let their children go to school or nursery.
Russia classes polar bears as an endangered species and shooting them is prohibited by law. Officials warn, however, that a cull may be necessary to ensure the safety of the local population, if attempts to remove the animals fail.